Any Dog "Experts" Here??

[billt]

Here's the deal. I took our Poodle mix, (Cody), to the vet to get his Parvo booster shot and a general exam. He's been doing great. The vet went into this long speal about getting his teeth cleaned, because they show signs of tarter. (He's around 4 years old). His gums are nice and pink, and he has a Nylabone that he chews hard on. So we know he isn't experiencing any tooth pain.

They told us how they have to do blood work, take X-Rays, and put him under to do this, "cleaning procedure". The cost?...... $560.00! And that was for just the cleaning. Any additional work like extractions was extra. I'm almost 64, and I've had dogs all of my life. Never once have I ever had this done, or had to take any of our dogs to the vet over bad teeth.

Just for the hell of it I went on a, "Poodle Forum" and asked about this, along if the price was out of line. They came back with prices anywhere from $160.00, to over $800.00. That wide of a price swing suggests, to me anyway, this is somewhat of a racket. One vet who saw him last year said they don't even suggest having it done until the dog is around halfway through their life span. For Cody, (Poodle mix, 15 pounds), that would be at about 7 to 8 years of age. I don't like putting an animal under for such a simple procedure. There is always the danger they can succumb to the anesthetic.

Have any of you guys had this done to your dogs? I don't want to neglect his teeth. But $560.00 to fix something that isn't broke doesn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong. If the little guy had an infection or any pain, I would get him in right away, cost be damned. But this?

 

[Timothy]

Had a Yorkie for 13 years.  We brushed his teeth once in a while but never needed them cleaned!  His teeth were fine.

[Solus]

Bill,

I've not had any of my dogs long enough for me to know anything about this, but I did do a google search and tried to weed out the items that looked like sales pitches for Vet Cleaning.

Here is a link to the one that I found that seem most honest.  Vet cleaning is still a topic, but it have much more perspective with it.

https://www.lovethatpet.com/dogs/health/teeth-cleaning/

[MikeBjerum]

The young vets are always hitting us up on this.  Old vets laugh.  Old guys told us if no pain, no bleeding and look good, don't worry about it.  If your concerned after the sales pitch, get some good hard dog Busch it's that will scrape as the eat.

[MikeBjerum]

By the way, why did you ask if we were experts.  You've been here long enough to know we are all misguided children of Cliff Clavin.

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

I took my old dog in to get his teeth checked once and they ended up pulling 4 of them. I never brushed his teeth but I gave him dentastix and things like that. He was probably about 10 years old when I got him and I don't think he ever had his teeth cleaned.

[jaybet]

I've had a vet reach in their mouth and chip stuff off with his fingernail and say,'You don't brush his teeth do you?" and I'd say "No" and that's the end of it. I've had dogs my whole life and never had a tooth pulled.

[crusader rabbit]

Just lost my dog in August and he didn't succumb to bad teeth.  Until the end, Chuey could go through a knuckle bone in short order.  We got some of those "extended time" digestible chews that provide "hours of fun."  Chuey polished 'em off in 15 minutes without breaking a sweat.

Recently, I started to hear I should have my cat's teeth cleaned at a very high cost.  I'm thinking it's all a scam to finance the vet's new BMW.

After a lifetime of owning dogs and cats, I have concluded that gourmet food for animals is a scam.  Any better quality pet food works just fine.  Just stay away from the stuff with mostly corn meal or soy.  They cause gas and the savings just aren't worth having to leave the house with all the windows open.

Special, hypoallergenic shampoo for dogs is a scam.  The cheap stuff works fine.  Just hose 'em off really well.

Brushing your dogs teeth may do some minimal good, but it's mostly a scam.  Sedating any animal with an abscessed tooth may be warranted, but putting them under to clean their teeth is a scam.

Unless you are soul kissing your pooch and are put off by his/her bad breath, leave their teeth alone.  If you ARE soul kissing your pooch, you have more and bigger problems than can be addressed here.

Milk Bone, Dentastix, and Greenies are more treats than treatment (IMHO). 

FWIW,
Crusader Rabbit

[billt]

My thinking is in line with all of you guys. Back in the 90's, I had a German Shepard that I lost to cancer. She had a chunk of tarter so big on one of her molars, that when I pulled it off with a dental pick, it "clanked" when I dropped it into the ash tray. At first I thought it was the tooth! Her teeth never caused her any pain.

I'm going to pass on this. I think it's just a scam to generate income. My little guy has never been better. I check his mouth from time to time, and I'm not seeing anything abnormal. For God's sake, it only cost me $90.00 for my last teeth cleaning. And that included 2 X-Rays and a checkup from the dentist when the gal was through. I'm sure as hell not going to pay over 6 times as much to get my mutts teeth cleaned! That's just insane.

[Timothy]

Over the 13 years I had my mutt he cost me about 20k!

Still miss him though...best worthless little rat hunter there was!

Sniff, sniff...